Is Vanguard Worth it in 2026? A Veteran Call of Duty Fan‘s Perspective
For loyal Call of Duty fans who play each release extensively, Vanguard is definitely still worth picking up and enjoying in 2024. However, more casual shooter fans may be better served waiting for a price drop or the next installment. While Vanguard doesn‘t hit franchise highs, its classic Call of Duty DNA provides a solid multiplayer experience plus extra modes to keep things fresh across play sessions. Let‘s take a comprehensive look across all factors to see how Vanguard stacks up heading into its second year.
Vanguard Brought Call of Duty Back to WW2 Roots
First, some background before assessing Vanguard‘s value proposition. 2021‘s Call of Duty returned the blockbuster franchise to its World War 2 roots for the first time since 2017‘s Call of Duty: WW2. Leading up to Vanguard, recent entries like Black Ops Cold War shifted to Cold War era conflicts with a different tone. Vanguard signaled a desire to reinvigorate the classic Call of Duty formula.
Developed by Sledgehammer Games, Vanguard introduced new technical capabilities like photogrammetry for lifelike visuals. Destructible environments brought more dynamism to maps. On the gameplay front, Vanguard sped up the action with higher movement and shorter time-to-kill – rewarding reaction speed and accuracy.
Lower Sales Compared to Recent Years – But Why?
Within its launch month, Vanguard‘s estimated 4.2 million unit sales fell short of Black Ops Cold War‘s 5.7 million and Modern Warfare‘s 6.5 million respective launch month sales. After 9 months, estimated total sales sat around 13.4 million units – the lowest initial sales for a Call of Duty since 2006.
However, context is required. The pandemic significantly boosted gaming engagement in 2020, advantageing Black Ops Cold War. Additionally, the WW2 theme seemed to limit enthusiasm relative to modern or future warfare. Franchise fatigue may also be a factor, though player counts tell a more nuanced story.
| Call of Duty Game | Launch Month Sales |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | 4.2 million |
| Black Ops Cold War | 5.7 million |
| Modern Warfare (2019) | 6.5 million |
Healthy Player Base Retained into 2023
While sales lagged previous years, Vanguard retains a solid player base in 2024 that should sustain strong matchmaking and future content updates. In January 2023, Vanguard drew over 50k concurrent players on Steam, excluding consoles. For comparison, that exceeds Cold War‘s 30-40k range in 2022.
Reviewing console player data shows similarly strong engagement. Though not 2019 Modern Warfare heights, matchmaking remains fast across modes. This suggests an active community likely to continue through 2023.
Fast-Paced, Classic Multiplayer Caters to Series Vets
Vanguard‘s core multiplayer delivers the signature fast-paced Call of Duty gameplay loop that keeps millions coming back year after year. Sledgehammer‘s priorities here clearly centered on catering to veteran fans.
With a redesigned ‘bloom‘ weapon recoil system and shorter time-to-kill, gunplay feels snappier and deadlier – rewarding reaction speed and accuracy. Operators‘ unique abilities add strategy without being disruptive. Pacing options allow filtering map sizes and player counts based on preference.
Longtime players praise the ability to quickly get into frantic, high intensity Call of Duty run-and-gun action – especially on small-to-medium size maps. Combined with an expanded perk system and solid weapon variety, the mechanics deliver exactly what series devotees expect.
Map Design Less Inspired Than Past Releases
While Vanguard nails combat mechanics, map design has garnered more mixed reactions. Visually, the environments look great with photogrammetry enhancing detail. However, critics argue the layouts themselves lack personality and memorable hooks relative to past entries.
As a veteran player myself, I agree some maps feel less inspired than classics like Modern Warfare (2019)‘s Shoot House. However, SHG added the fan favorite Shipment map post-launch, redeeming small-map design. On the whole, map flow caters more to run-and-gun play vs tactical.
Campaign Delivers Polished, If Forgettable, WW2 Sets
Clocking in around 6 hours, Vanguard‘s campaign sits on the shorter end for the franchise. It follows a multinational special forces squad through various dramatized WW2 operations. Sets and action sequences impress with photoreal visuals and cinematic flair across Eastern, Western, and Pacific fronts.
Gameplay-wise, the experience sticks to familiar Call of Duty run-and-gun shooting sections punctuated by big set pieces – though perhaps less wow moments than seen in Infinite Warfare or recent Modern Warfare games. Overall, the campaign hits its marks as a polished way to sample Vanguard‘s visuals and settings, but doesn‘t deliver a particularly memorable or must-play storyline.
Zombies and Multiplayer Modes Enhance Longevity
Beyond core multiplayer, Vanguard owners gain access to an additional set of modes that add flavor and longevity. The new Zombies experience developed by Treyarch transports players to an ancient Egyptian tomb for engaging, escalating undead warfare supporting 1-4 players co-op. It even includes a new enemy type, the Sturmkrieger.
On the multiplayer front, seasonal updates continuously add new maps, modes, and balance changes. Recent additions like Arms Race provide fun new twists. Operators like Attack on Titan‘s Levi and other cross-promotions keep things fresh. Events like Festive Fervor bring holiday flairs. It may not seem like tons of content compared to Warzone‘s torrent of updates, but it helps retain engaged players.
Integration With Warzone Mediocre By Crossover Standards
Integrating with Warzone provides a major boost for engagement and visibility. However, the execution with Vanguard has garnered mixed reactions at best. The Pacific Warzone map Caldera brought a lush new environment, but many players argue the layout and pacing reduced intensity compared to Verdansk.
The shift to integrating Vanguard weapons also rubbed some players the wrong way, as Vanguard‘s faster time-to-kill diminished their skill advantages. But Warzone cross-progression and a unified Battle Pass system do help incentivize checking out Vanguard.
The Verdict: A Must For Call of Duty Devotees
Stepping back and looking holistically, Call of Duty: Vanguard doesn‘t exceed franchise peaks, but provides a rock solid installment for keeping Call of Duty‘s massive install base engaged and entertained. For players like myself who grind each release extensively, Vanguard deserves a spot in the annual rotation.
More casually fans may want to hold out for Modern Warfare 2 or a steeper discount. Either way, Sledgehammer followed the classic Call of Duty blueprint closely here, catering directly to series devotees interested in another quality AAA fix of multiplayer mayhem and cinematic campaigns.